old connections: season one
by nefertiris
Summary: and now she's back. hearing rumours about her cousin being turned into a werewolf was the one thing that could drag vanessa back to beacon hills. but a lot has happened and everyone's changed, including herself. on top of that, an alpha werewolf is wreaking havoc.
1. welcome back

_the present._

It had been years since the last time. She couldn't remember how many at the moment, but it had been a few. Standing outside his resident alone made her nervous enough; actually knocking on the door and face him seemed impossible at the moment. Once she remembered why she was back, her fist rose and connected with the door three times. Soon after, a male opened the door with his eyes glued on the female in front of him. It was Derek but it didn't look like Derek. He was so much more muscular, more grown up and sexier in a way. Not that Vanessa imagined herself as her young self, but still. She hadn't changed that much too, had she?

"Nessa? Is that really you?" Derek Hale asked the latina girl in front of him. Her dark hair was damp from the rain and her clothes were sticky, which didn't look nor felt comfortable. He examined her carefully until she cracked a weak, nervous smile.

"Hi. Sorry to just drop by like this, but-" He didn't even gave her the time to finish that sentence before reassuring her that it was fine.

"No, it's okay. It's been a while, huh?" He huffed and eyed her discreetly. She too looked so much more different. The most noteable thing was that she had really grown into a woman of her age. She looked twenty three, had a healthy and nice body, her face wasn't as chubby and plump as it used to be and her features were sharper and more beautiful.

"Yeah." She laughed before entering his loft. Vanessa gazed around in the place before allowing herself to lay her eyes on Derek. It really had been a while; longer than both of them had realized. Derek had no idea why she was back all of sudden, and at this moment, but he didn't quite care. Vanessa felt no need to explain at the very moment as to why she was there, but she wanted to give him an idea at least. "I heard a funny rumor which is why I'm... Back."

"A funny rumor? So you couldn't come back in years but you can come back for a rumor?" He questioned, with half a smile on his face so that she wouldn't believe he was angry with her.

"Yes." Suddenly, she looked stern, which scared him. She always managed to scare him sometimes. "I heard about Scott Mccall, and in case you forgot, he's my cousin."

"Shit." He sighed quietly, folding his arms and lowering his head a little.

"Yeah, shit. Family means everything to me, Hale. Now where can I sleep?" She asked and eyed the place. With an amused look, he folded his arms together and shrugged lightly.

"This isn't exactly the Plaza but there's a bedroom right there. Don't worry, I have a spare room upstairs where I can sleep." He offered, making her smile gratefully. She put her big bag down on the floor and bit on her bottom lip in thought.

"So what happened to Scott? Who turned him?" She asked bluntly, feeling sick to her stomach simply uttering those words.

"I don't know." He sighed and gazed down at the floor. "There's this new alpha in town who turned him. I don't know who it is, but I'm planning on finding it out."

With her eyebrows furrowed, Vanessa examined his stone cold expression. Just like she moved her foot when she lied, he had signs as well. For example, when he lied, he always had his arms crossed together so he could tap on his arm. When he was holding something back, his lips pursed.

"What else is there? What did this alpha personally do to you?" She questioned and took a few steps closer to him.

With glossy eyes, Derek looked back up at her and her entire chest ached. Something really bad had happened while she was away, something that seemed to dawn on him. Maybe she shouldn't have asked. Not because she didn't care, but because pushing him to just open up after four years of disappearance might not be fair of her.

"It's better if I show you." He finally murmured before seizing her arm and leading her outside. The forest was still as eerie at night as it was years ago. He brought her to the side of the house where a large pit was visible. The knot in her stomach almost made her turn around and run.

"No..." Vanessa whispered while she covered her mouth with her hand. In the pit lay Laura Hale's body. Or, the upper half of it. She kept shaking her head all the while Derek stared down at it, wet eyes but not letting any tears fall.

To his surprise, she turned to face him and embraced him in a tight hug. Since she was so tall, they were almost on the same level, her head forehead pressed against his shoulder. Slightly taken aback by the action, Derek slowly placed a hand against her back and allowed one tiny tear to fall.

"Thanks." He mumbled against the top of her head. She let out a silent laugh and pulled back. "Scott's not handling this very well, maybe you should stay at theirs instead."

Vanessa sighed and watched him fold his arms. Maybe he was telling the truth about Scott coping but he didn't want her with him. She didn't blame him. Being vulnerable wasn't his thing and now that he had let her see him weak, he didn't want her to keep softening him up. Not now when Laura was dead and he had just gotten out of jail and the hunters knew about him.

"You're sure you don't know who turned him?" She asked again, grabbing her bag from the floor.

"I'm sure. Why, are you suspecting someone?" He frowned and watched her shake her head.

"I don't have anyone to expect. I mean, I know there are a lot of supernatural creatures in this town but I don't know any except for... You." She shrugged.

"What about your old pack? Maybe they're pissed you left." He suggested. She looked to the side and blinked a few times.

"It's not them."

"So that leaves me?" His change of tone made her snap her head back. She had a baffled expression on her face.

"What? You think I'm suspecting you? Derek. No motive. Why in the world would you turn him?" She chuckled humorlessly, crossing her arms together. "Unless you wanted to draw me back here."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You suggested yourself!" She scoffed, shook her head in disbelief and then hurried out the door. When it slammed, Derek groaned to himself and leaned back against the wall. What the hell was his problem?

Vanessa made her way through the familiar neighborhood until she reached the Mccall residence. On her way, she spotted her old house and made a mental note to visit it soon. She knocked on the door carefully since it was pretty late and fidgeted. It'd been so long since she'd seen Melissa or Scott and a smile began growing on her face since she'd missed them so much.

"Jesus Christ, it's–" Melissa muttered as she opened the door, messy hair and a weary aura. That, however, changed once she registered who was on the other side of the door. "Oh my god, Vanessa!"

"Aunt Mel!" Vanessa squeaked and pulled her aunt in for a hug. Melissa dragged her inside so she could close the door and eyed the girl quickly.

"Oh wow, you've grown. You look so different! In a good way, of course. Why are you back? I'm glad you're back, but why?" Melissa asked in a hushed voice and frowned.

"Long story. Is Scott awake?" She glanced behind Melissa's shoulder. As if on cue, Scott groggily walked down the stairs rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Mom? Who's here?" He asked and blinked hard to get his eyes open properly.

"Oh gods." Vanessa whispered and put both hands against her mouth. Scott definitely wasn't twelve years old any more. "You're so big! What the hell happened to my baby cousin?"

"Vee?" Scott laughed before he launched at her and hugged her so tightly he almost crushed her back. "Dude, where the hell have you been?!"

"'Dude'?" She scoffed and raised one eyebrow. "Look, I'll explain everything tomorrow. I just need to sleep right now, I'm so tired. And you have school tomorrow."

"Alright, alright. Goodnight." Scott chuckled and went back to his room. Melissa smiled softly and placed her hands on his hips.

"Oh, I don't have an extra bed." She suddenly remembered, but Vanessa waved her off.

"I'll sleep on the couch." She proclaimed, walking over to the living room. Melissa disappeared and returned with some sheets and a pillow.

"All good?" She asked and rubbed her hands uncertainly.

"All perfect. Now go sleep, you look really tired." Vanessa laughed over how adorable she was and watched Melissa crack a smile before leaving the room. Vanessa made herself comfortable and slowly fell asleep herself, somewhat content over being back.

The next morning, Vanessa woke early as always. She did all the usual morning things (brushing her teeth, her hair, washing her face and lastly getting dressed) and then made breakfast for the three of them. Scott definitely wasn't a morning person. When he saw all the food ready on the table, he almost looked shocked.

"You're weird. Who the hell has the energy to do all this at seven in the morning?" He murmured, then yawned and stretched his arms.

"It's all about routine, Scotty. I used to sleep late and have a hard time wake up myself but then I became a substitute teacher and I had to change my schedules and–"

"Wait, you're a teacher?" He cut her off, sitting down on the chair. "Don't tell me you're gonna be a new teacher at our school."

"Really? Would that be so bad?" She scowled, raised one eyebrow and stared at him.

"No, not for me. I'd love that. But man, Stiles hasn't seen you in years. He used to think you were so cute. Imagine how he'd faint if he saw you now. And let's not ever speak of this again." He explained, making her giggle a bit.

"Oh, I've missed that goofball and no, I'm not a new teacher at your school. Though I am a substitute so I'm gonna inform them that I'm qualified to step in if they need it. Which is why I'm driving you today." She rambled all the while Melissa joined them, silently thanking her niece in ex-law for the breakfast.

"What kind of car?" Scott asked, chewing on a sandwich. How charming.

"Does it matter?" She retorted and poured them all some juice. He lowered his head and twitched his lips sideways.

"Not really. Anything looks better than Stiles's jeep." He sighed with a weak grin and finished his meal.

"Stiles has a jeep?" She questioned with a frown and leaned back against the counter.

"Yeah, and don't ever insult it because he will literally kill you." Scott added quickly, knowing just how much Stiles cared for that jeep.

"I'd like to see him try." She snorted and drank from her glass. He frowned suspiciously at her but shook it off.

Melissa left sooner than them and when Scott saw what kind of car she actually was driving, one that she parker nearby before visiting Derek, he dropped his jaw. She smirked at him as she unlocked it and sat down in the driver's seat.

"A Chevrolet Camaro SS... This year's edition... And it's blue..." He whispered in awe, almost getting tears in his eyes. "I've never been one for cars but oh God... How? What? How can you afford this?!" He stared at her with wide eyes. Truth to be told, he barely dared to get in the car since he thought he'd dirt it down.

"I have a job, you know. A full-time one." She ignited the engine and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Yeah? So what do you do besides teaching?" He asked curiously and put his seatbelt on simultaneously as she did. A wide, happu grin spread across her face.

"I'm an architect." She shared quietly, watching him grin with her.

"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you. It's what you've always wanted, right?"

"Mhm." She nodded and began driving toward Beacon Hills High School.

Arriving, a wave of nostalgia hit her like an unexpected brick in the chest. She gazed out the window at the building for a long time before she inhaled deeply and turned the engine off. Scott looked at her with soft eyes, got out the car and carefully closed the door. Vanessa did the same and locked it, her eyes still glued to the building and the students roaming around.

"Weird to be back, huh?" He asked and nudged her weakly.

"Yeah." She whispered and licked her bottom lip between her teeth. "I remember my first day here. And my last."

"I can't wait for my last day here." Scott murmured so quietly that she wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't a werewolf. "Anyway, I'm gonna go and find Stiles. They haven't rebuilt the place so I guess you can find your way."

"Yeah, you can go." She smiled and ushered for him to go. Scott walked away, so she turned back to her car since she forgot her phone inside it.

"Woah, nice ride." A male voice uttered from behind her. Vanessa put her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and turned to face the guy who was, especially compared to her, unusually short for a guy.

"Thanks, I know."

"I drive a Porsche." He then added, making her roll her eyes discreetly.

"And I don't drive a nice car to brag about it." She sighed before passing him and approaching the school entrance.

"Are you new?" He called. This made her frown and turn around slowly.

"Take a good, long look at me, kid. Do I look like I'm new here? Like, age-wise." She asked, folding her arms together. He did eye her for a moment and ended up shrugging.

"Yeah, you do."

"Okay, thanks for the compliment, but it's a stupid one. I'm twenty five."

"I'm Jackson." He smirked.

"Smooth. But I'm not telling you my name." She chuckled and finally left him standing there. Jackson spent a few seconds admiring her car until he did whatever he did before school started.

Vanessa walked the hallways until she abruptly stopped by her old lockers. Pursing her lips, she remembered all the items she had in it during her time. But mostly though, she remembered when Derek tossed that basketball at her.

"Excuse me." A female voice said softly.

"Oh gods, sorry." Vanessa quickly stepped to the side, not realizing that she had stepped closer to the locker and that her eyes were stinging.

"No, it's fine." The girl smiled and looked at her. She had raven dark hair, pale skin and a long but thin body. She was pretty, but something about her seemed familiar. "You don't go here, do you? I mean, I'm not calling you anything, you just– Just don't look like the rest of us."

"No, I don't." She chuckled and shook her head. "This used to be my locker. Sorry for being a little creepy."

"You weren't. Nice to meet you..."

"Vanessa. McCall."

"Allison. Argent." She smiled.

Vanessa's chest tightened and it was tough to force her smile to stay put. The name still sent shivers down her spine, even if this girl looked innocent and kind. She quickly excused herself and hurried away from there, though she didn't get very far because she soon bumped into Scott and Stiles.

"Why do you look so... Alarmed?" Scott asked with a worried expression. Stiles however, limped back against the wall and fixed his eyes on her.

"Oh wow, hot stuff." He whispered to himself, feeling nervous just by looking at her. That managed to lift her spirits.

"Did you just call me hot stuff?" She laughed and raised her eyebrows at him.

"N–No. What?" He faked a laughter, waving her off. Scott only whispered a pray and rolled his eyes. His best friend was a hopeless cause.

"That's adorable." She giggled and fist bumped his arm.

"Unbelievable." Scott mumbled and wiped his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"I really need to go to the principal's office, but come over to Scott's later. I've missed you boys." She proclaimed, turning her heels and walking away. Thankfully she could still hear the last part of their conversation.

"Why didn't you tell your cousin got so hot? Warn me?!" Stiles whisper-yelled.

"Because I knew you'd get that exact reaction. It was gold, why would I waste seeing it?" Scott laughed, most likely smirking evily at his friend.

"I hate you."

"You called her hot stuff."

"Shut up."

"Hot stuff."

"I swear to God, I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try."

With a wide smile, Vanessa shook her head and continued approaching the principal's office. Even if the boys had physically grown, they were still the same kids she used to babysit. After she knocked on the door, a voice called for her to come in. She didn't know what she expected, but in the seat sat the same man who ruled the school when she was a student.

"Vanessa McCall, is that you?" He chuckled and quickly got up.

"Mr. Ford." She grinned and accepted his brief hug.

"When I saw the note about a potential substitute visiting, it didn't click. I read your name but I didn't realize it was you. How have you been, dear?" Mr. Ford sat down again, as did she opposite to him.

"I've been good. How about you?" She asked back politely, tucking some hair behind her shoulder.

The two small talked a little until they got to the point where she informed him about the school subjects she was qualified to teach in — which were english and history, and some p.e. Scott texted her that Stiles would drive him home, so she drove home alone and sat by the kitchen counter until he walked through the door.

She was back for a reason. No matter how much the school and Mr. Ford and even her family made her miss the town, the bad parts weighted them out. She needed to speak with Scott, help him and maybe get on better terms with Derek. Scott dropped his backpack in his room, passed the kitchen and then walked back to look at her for a moment.

"Sup?" He asked carefully, considering she looked deep in thought with her elbows against the counter and chin against her knuckles.

"When does your mom come home?"

"Not for another few hours. Why?"

"We need to talk." She announced gravely, making him slightly nervous.

"About?"

"Do yoy know who turned you?" She asked bluntly, watching him fidget and then shrug. Scott's thing was that he most of the time looked away when he lied. He never could look her in the eyes when they were younger and lie.

"Turned me? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Scott, please. Just cut the bullshit because I know that someone turned you into a werewolf. And I need you to be completely honest with me about everything so we can figure out who he is." She interrupted. His big eyes and baffled expression made her sigh. "I'm a werewolf too, Scotty. An alpha even, okay, so no lies, no weird excuses."

"You're... Wait. You're– You're a werewolf?" He frowned deeply and took a few steps closer to her. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she bit on her bottom lip and nodded.

"Yeah. Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

 **HEY YALL! vanessa's back and ready to kick some butt. also dont forget to go to my tumblr, princes-jasmine, for more Vanessa content!**


	2. nostalgia

"You're an alpha? That's so cool." Scott praised, yet a severe expression on his face. She nodded as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "But how did you know about me?"

"I heard... A rumor." She answered vaguely. After tracing a circle on the counter with her finger for a few seconds, Scott's face turned into a scowl of realization.

"Did Stiles tell you?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"He contacted me the other day, said you were falling apart." She lightly chuckled, pulling her fingers through her hair. "I'm glad he did, Scott. You're just kids. You need help with this."

"It's tough with school and the whole werewolf thing. And ugh, then there's Allison. I really like her but Derek keeps telling me I'm gonna hurt her eventually, and I'm sacred he's ri–"

"Wait! Hold up!" She quickly cut him off and raised both her hands in the air to stop him from talking. Yes, it was too much information so she had to put up both hands. "Allison as in Allison Argent? And Derek? As in Derek Hale?"

"Yeah. Do you know them?" Scott asked and raised his eyebrows a little.

Vanessa was too stunned to talk. Firstly, there was Allison. No matter how sweet she seemed, she was an Argent and that meant her family was still hunting these woods. Worst case would be that Kate returned as well. If she was back, Vanessa didn't know if she could contain her anger. Secondly, Scott casually talked about Derek which meant Derek had contacted him more than once. Not only did Scott seem to have forgotten about hanging out with him when they were younger, but Derek had actively 'coached' her cousin without telling her. These thoughts angered her and Scott took a step back when he got to see her glowing red eyes in action.

"No, I..." She caught herself, blinking away the anger. "I don't. Or I mean, I know the Argents. Sort of. Anyway, what has this Derek told you so far?"

"Only that I'm dangerous and that the alpha who bit me wants me in his pack. Which I'm not interested in, by the way." He shrugged, playing it off even though she could see that this was clearly eating him up. Scott, dangerous? Never in a million worlds.

"Don't listen to him, you don't even know the guy. And that alpha won't lay a hand on you, not while I'm here." As soon as the words left her mouth, Scott lowered his head the slightest and knitted his eyebrows together. She soon realized what a poor choice of words it was; had she been there the entire time instead, maybe Scott would still be a normal human. Had she still been there the entire time, she and Scott would've been so much closer. "Sorry." She whispered and pursed her lips.

"No, it's fine. I don't blame you, I just which you could've been. You never even told us why you left."

"You'll hate me if I told you." She murmured and pulled her fingers through her hair in an act of frustration.

"Come on." He scoffed, disbelief in his eyes. "There's nothing that could make me hate you. You're my closest friend after Stiles and you know that."

"I'll tell you, just not no–"

"Wait. You're an alpha. The only way to become that is to..." He drifted off in realization, slowly fixing his eyes on her.

Vanessa didn't need to finish. The tears building up in her eyes and her pushed lips together confirmed his assumption. However, Scott didn't look disgusted, ashamed or even afraid. He only sighed and then completely took her by surprise when he pulled her in for a hug.

"It was self defense." She sniffed and buried her face against the crook of his neck.

"I believe you." He nodded and stroked her back. "I know you'd never kill someone for power. You're better than that."

"We'll take this alpha down and I'm gonna help you cope with this all." She said as she ended the hugs. With a wry smile on his face, he wiped away her tears and nodded.

"Sounds good. I'm just glad you're here."

"Me too." She agreed, inhaling deeply to shrug off all the emotions. "There's someone I need to see, is that alright?"

"Of course."

Vanessa placed a kiss on his forehead before she put on a jacket and headed outside. Thankfully, the fresh air helped her process and breathe. So the Argents were still here and her werewolf cousin was crushing on a hunter. Great. On top of that, her ex best friend was charading as a horrible mentor to her cousin. Derek. Her feet dragged toward his old house in the woods. Vanessa swallowed a lump in her throat and placed her hands in the jacket pockets as she approached his home.

"Derek? I know you're in there! We need to talk." Expectedly, Derek stepped outside a moment later and crossed his arms together. His black hair and pale skin really contrasted each other.

"What do you want?" He asked cooly, slightly raising his eyebrows at her.

"He's my cousin!" She stated with that tone that always made him flinch when they were younger. "How can you think it's okay for you to coach him? To tell him that he'll hurt someone? That's not your responsibility, he's not yours to take care of! And how can you have contacted him without telling me?! He doesn't even remember you, remember us, so why not stay away? Or at least tell me? You really think you're the one to comfort him when I haven't seen you express any emotion since I got here? He's a kid! You can't just tell him he'll hurt someone! Especially since he's better than that!"

"Yeah, well, at least I was here!" Derek snapped, this time making her flinch. He looked like he was done and fed up and ready to defend himself like there's no tomorrow. "I was here when he turned! He might be your cousin, but you weren't here. If Stiles hadn't even contacted you, you wouldn't have known about him! Okay, I've been here ever since you left. I might've out of town a couple of times but I never cut my ties here. If I still had a family here, I would never leave for four years without visiting or contacting. At least I was here to guide Scott, to explain what was happening to him! Yes, I might not be the best tutor and he might not be my blood but I care about that kid and I was available. I was the best thing he had for a pack member! I was here! What's your excuse, Vanessa?"

Derek exhaled some hot air and managed to calm himself down while Vanessa was shook. Tears had rolled down her cheeks and her chest was heavier than stone at the moment. Not knowing was to say, she clenched and unclenched her hands and cocked her head sideways.

"Wow." She whispered and let all the words sink in. What hurt almost the most though was the fact that he referred to her with her full name. He hadn't done that in gods know how long.

"Sorry I yelled." He quickly apologized, awkwardly looking anywhere but at her face.

"No, I needed to hear that. I deserved to hear that."

"But I shouldn't have yelled." He mumbled and clenched his jaw. Vanessa didn't respond for a few seconds because she realized what it was that he really wanted to hear.

"I'm not sorry that I left." She stated, looking up at him. "I know that's what you want to hear, that I regret leaving, but I don't, Derek. I made a life for myself and I was happy. But I am sorry for just leaving without saying anything and I'm sorry that I never contacted you. That I am. I should've been here to prevent him from ever turning."

"Well..." He sighed and raised his hands up beside his body, dropping them shortly after. "At least remember that I warned him about full moons and the Argents."

"Wait, he knows Allison's family are Argents, yet he still wanna be with her?" She asked and frowned. "Who's her dad?"

"Chris." The word held so much hatred and guilt that it almost radiated over to her.

"As in...?"

"Kate's brother. That Chris."

"Which makes Kate Allison's aunt. Wow."

"Scott sure knows how to pick 'em."

"You're one to talk." She scoffed but the second hurt flashed across his face, she regretted opening her mouth. He still blamed himself and he probably never would stop. "Sorry."

"It's fine. It's been years, we should be good to joke about it." He shrugged.

"No, we shouldn't." She shook her head and then boldly pulled him in for an apologetical hug. "Thanks for being there for Scott."

"Yeah." He whispered and slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist. "It really wasn't a pleasure. The kid's so stubborn and has a lot of questions."

"Wouldn't surprise me if you only answered one of them." She snorted and closed her eyes in content. He laughed through his nose and then rested his cheek against the top of her head. "You two should just play some soccer and get over it."

"I was surprised when he didn't remember me, you know. He didn't even think twice, it's like we're complete strangers."

"To be fair, he was just a kid." She defended, remembering those times he and Scott would talk whenever she brought them together.

"Not a toddler." He shrugged and carefully ended the hug. She rolled her eyes playfully and exhaled.

"Let's focus on finding the alpha from now on." She decided and he nodded softly. "I'll see you around."

"See you."

Vanessa awkwardly waved at him before she left and stopped midway back to Scott's. Her body turned to her old house where a car stood parked and the lights were on. She hadn't even planned on going there but now that she stood faced with the building, she couldn't help apporoaching the door and knocking on it. A hawaiian man about Scott's age opened the door and gazed at her.

"Hi, you don't know me." She quickly said, biting her bottom lip. "But I used to live here before I moved. I just wanted to... I don't know, see how it looks now. This is really weird, sorry."

"This town is pretty famous for its weirdness. Come in." He smiled and opened the door more so she could enter. "I'm Danny, by the way."

"Vanessa." She smiled and followed him inside.

"The place basically looks the same. My parents said that they thought it was so modern and to their liking so they didn't want to change that much." He began telling her and he was right. The wave of sad nostalgia washed through her as she entered her old living room. Sure, the couch might be new and some photos here and there but the structure and design were the same.

"Wow." She whispered and slid her hands down her pockets. "Never thought I could miss this place this much..."

Danny turned around to look at her. He was about to drop a comment about how you couldn't miss your house and yet take time to visit it, but he soon examined the deep expression on her face.

"You're not just talking about the house, are you?" He questioned, snapping her back to reality. She blinked at him since it was as if he read he thoughts.

"No." She said simly, lifting her shoulders a bit. "This town never really did me any good."

"Then why are you back? If I may ask." He asked with a soft smile and leaned back against the wall.

"Family problems. So uh... Do you know which room used to be mine?" She changed the subject.

"Oh, yeah, it's actually my room." He said excitedly, as if he was planning on contacting her about the manner. When Danny moved toward her old room, Vanessa laughed quietly and followed, licking her bottom between her teeth as he opened the door. The room was surprisingly the same. The walls were white, the room was still as simple and organized as possible while still being embarrassingly personal and the furniture (even if they were new) stood at the same spots.

"Shit." She sniffed and raised a hand to cover her mouth. He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted beside him, silently telling her it was okay to get comfortable. It was after all her old room.

Vanessa joined his side and looked around the room with an absent smile. Their situation reminded her of when Derek finally came over to her place and was welcomed by her dad. Her eyes soon landed on his desk where he had binders stacket, each binder a color of the rainbow. Danny noticed where her gaze stuck.

"I'm gay." He stated. She hesitated for a moment before turning her head to look at him with a relaxed face.

"I'm... Bisexual."

It was the first time she had ever said it aloud. Vanessa was pretty certain her dad knew but he had never asked because she hadn't been in a proper relationship, so there was no reason to ask. The only reason she knew was simple: she'd been with both men and women considering both bodies attracted her and her first priority was personality. Again, he noticed the expression and tone of her voice.

"Are you coming out right now?"

"I guess."

"Then I'm honored."

"I've just never had a reason to say it out loud before. No one to tell." She shrugged and scratched her upper arm.

"But you've know for a long time?" He suggested, intertwining his hands together against his lap.

"I think so. I've just never put relationships first. When I moved, that's when I started to live for real and that's when I ended up with both men and women. But I've always thought of girls as sexy and beautiful, just like boys."

"That's okay, you know. For some it's crystal clear and for others it isn't." He comforted, making her look down and smile ridiculously.

"Gods, you're a complete stranger, yet I'm telling you all this." She shook her head and made a funny face.

"To be fair, I'm a good listener with a good heart." He joked as he placed a hand against his chest. "Which reminds me, I'm glad you decided to come here because I've been keeping something that I think is yours. I think when you guys moved, the estate agent forgot to tell the workers to look under the bed because there was this box here when we moved in."

"Wait, are you serious?!" She exclaimed and quickly dropped down to the floor on her knees. "I cried about it for like, two weeks!"

"Yeah, it's under there. I never opened it though, so I really hope it isn't sex toys." He smirked.

Vanessa glared and simultaneously smirked at him while she grabbed the box from under the bed. She squealed with happiness as she opened the box and sighed in relief.

"Ah, my childhood in a box." She whispered and picket up a few things. Danny leaned forward and looked inside it.

"Are those pom-poms?" He chuckled.

"Yeah. I stored all my stuff here. Movie tickets, theater tickets, minor gifts that I didn't know where to put, special–" She cut herself off when her eyes landed on two significant items.

"What?" He asked with a concerned look.

"Special jewelry..." She murmured and picked up the snake ring from Derek and sweat band from Peter. "Oh wow... Sorry, I don't mean on getting all emotional on you."

"No worries. My best friend isn't exactly the softest person on earth." He waved it off.

"Can't be worse than the guy I met today at the high school." She snorted, then made her best imitation. "'I drive a Porsche'. Gods, does that really impress someone?"

"Was that guy's name by any chance Jackson?" He asked and frowned with a troubled smile.

"Yeah, why?"

"That's my best friend." He admitted. She stared up at him with a look of pity.

"Oh, pobrecito... I feel so bad for you." She said with sympathy, making him laugh. "How did you two even... I mean, you and him don't add up."

"He used to be a lot nicer before he found out he was adopted." Danny defended, but not aggressively. Vanessa believed him and nodded a little, standing up with the box in her arms.

"Thanks. And uh, I should probably tell you, while I'm here, that I might substitute some of your classes this year. So in case I enter the classroom and you're there, you don't have to be so shocked."

"You're nice to talk to and okay, what subjects?"

"English, history and p.e."

"Cool."

Vanessa laughed through her nose, said goodbye and then made her way back to Scott's. She hid the box under Scott's bed but not before taking out the snake ring and putting it on. It brought a smile to her face plus it looked nice. The old Hale's had some style. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Scott was already on his face.

"I'll take it!" He yelled, even though he knew only Vanessa was home with him. A second before he opened the door, she could smell a familiar scent that made her hurry toward the door.

"... Hi. You don't know me." A female voice said, one Vanessa had grew to like a lot.

"Raven?" Vanessa asked once she was beside Scott. "What are you doing here?"

"Not stalking you, I swear." Raven Caravantes quickly said, not that Vanessa thought she was. Scott eyed the girl in front of him. She looked lik a latina and he would've guessed she was from Mexico. Her brown hair was tumbled down her shoulders and her plump lips were formed as a smile.

"Come in." Vanessa said. She watched Raven enter the house carefully and cursed silently.

The last thing she needed was another person she cared about to be put in harms way. Beacon Hills had already taken enough from her.


	3. raven

Sitting on the couch with one leg beneath the other one and an arm against the top of the couch, Vanessa listened with a smile as Raven rambled before she could speak properly.

"I just... When you told me you were coming back here, you didn't look happy. You looked angry and sad and almost afraid, so I got worried and you know how paranoid I am. At one point, I feared someone was holding you against your will or threatening you! Silly, I know." Raven ranted, to whicy Vanessa only laughed at. "I'm serious, McCall! Are you alright?"

"Rae, I'm fine. I promise." She smiled and watched her relax slowly. "I just don't like this town, that's all. You don't have to go all detective on me."

"Okay, if you say so. Then I guess I can go back home." Raven murmured and got up from the couch but Vanessa sighed and gently grabbed her hand.

"You don't... Have to go back home. I mean, I'm not planning on staying here for too long anyway and I'd be nice to have you here. With me." She proclaimed. Raven tried to suppress it but a wide grin spread across her face, which heavied Vanessa's heart a little. She adored Raven a lot but due to her past, she never really opened up to her or acted like a proper girlfriend.

"You sure? I don't want to intrude–"

"You're not." Both Vanessa and Scott said together. "I'd love to meet Vanessa's friends." Scott added. Raven shifted her weight from one foot to another and glanced at Vanessa.

"Girlfriend." Vanessa corrected.

"You have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me? What happened to being all honest, hm?" Scott folded his arms together and raised his eyebrows at her. Raven realized that he wasn't shocked by the fact that she was her girlfriend, just by the fact that she never told him.

"Wait, you're not..." Raven began but couldn't find the right words.

"I don't care." Scott shrugged, getting her point.

"Wow, I'd be an amazing mom. Look what a great job I did with you." Vanessa chuckled and pursed her lips.

"How long have you two been together?" He asked curiously and sat down on the couch too.

"Well, we've known each other for a little bit over a year... It should be about five months since we decided to be more than just friends with benefits." Vanessa said, frowning and scrunching her nose like she did whenever she was thinking.

"Can't believe it's been over a year." Raven smiled and shook her head weakly.

"So are you staying here?" Scott asked and she vigorously shook her head.

"No, I don't wanna intrude like that. I'll just rent a motel room." Raven answered and smiled gratefully at him.

"Well, then I'm staying with you. And we might as well rent that room now to get it over with." Vanessa said and got up from her seat. "I'll see you later, cabrón. Stay safe." She added and used to fingers to point at her eyes and then him, subtly telling him that she's keeping an eye on him.

"Don't call him a goat. Or a jackass." Raven placed a hand against her chest and frowned at Vanessa, who broke out in a giggle.

"You're spanish?" Scott chuckled and leaned back in the couch.

"Mexican." She winked before leaving with her girlfriend.

Vanessa and Raven decided to walk to the local motel because of two reasons. One: Beacon Hills was literally one of the smallest towns they could imagine and two: they needed to catch up a little. Even if Vanessa only had been back home for a day, she and Raven hadn't seen each other for weeks before that.

"... So I finally caught that thief!" Raven expressed with such relief and happiness, hands clenching in the air in front of her. "He was such a pain in the ass."

"Yeah, I know. Your work room was littered with clues from his case." Vanessa laughed and then pursed her lips. "But congrats, even though I always knew you'd catch him eventually."

Raven smiled softly at her as they reached the motel, her eyes slowly turning from Vanessa to the receptionist. After a minute or so, the receptionist handed them each a key and they searched for their room. Inside it, Raven placed her bag on the floor and let her jacket slid down her arms and on top of the bed.

"Scott seems really nice." Raven smiled and sat down on the middle of the bed.

"He is. And I think he likes you already." Vanessa licked her lips and carefully straddled her, arms wrapped around her girlfriend's neck.

"Must be kinda overwhelming to have you back and then I come out of nowhere..." Raven sighed and placed her hands gently on Vanessa's hips, which sent shivers down her legs.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here." Vanessa lifted Raven's chin up, using her bent index finger. "I really am. But... There's a lot of things you don't know about me and this town. I could tell you but you probably wouldn't believe me and you'd be better off not knowing. So just always stay by my side, okay?"

Vanessa put her bottom lip between her teeth and examined her face. Raven's expression journey wasn't too long but it was important. At first her eyebrows were frowned and her lips tight, but then she slowly evolved into having a soft look and a side smile.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be, McCall." Raven said quietly, her deep and genuine voice making Vanessa inhale deeply and crack a wide smile. "And whenever you're ready to tell me..."

"I just need to be really sure about us, you know? For your sake." She stated, a concerned and thoughtful look on her face. "Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, but honey, I'm a cop. There's literally nothing I haven't seen." Raven chuckled and pursed her lips. While that was partly true, Vanessa cocked her head sideways and made a face.

"Trust me, there are still some things you have yet to see but that can wait til another day. Right now..." Vanessa whispered by the end before she moved some of Raven's hair from one shoulder to another and then kissed her neck.

"Mhm, I hate it when you do that..." Raven murmured and tugged Vanessa's shirt up by caressing her waist with her thumbs. "I know it's only been some days but..."

"A girl's gotta eat." Vanessa smirked and then pressed her lips against Raven's.

"Don't." Raven scrunched her face and shook her head before laughing.

Both giggling, Vanessa slowly pulled Raven's shirt off and moments later, the two caught up with what they had missed those past days. They lost track of time after about forty minutes later, so when Raven picked up her phone as the two were after-cuddling under the sheets she smirked and played with Vanessa's hair.

"I don't wanna leave this bed." Vanessa sighed and traced circles against Raven's upper chest.

"I'd agree but I really need a shower..." Raven smiled sheepishly, making her girlfriend roll her eyes and prop herself up with her elbows against the bed supporting her.

"Fine. Burst our little bubble, you heartless human being." Vanessa exaggarated as she sat up completely and threw her arms in the air. Grinning widely, Raven kissed Vanessa's cheek before she jumped off the bed and toward the bathroom.

Vanessa looked down at her spread out clothes and pouted with her lips in thought. Instead of taking her own clothes, she borrowed something comfier from Raven considering their fashion styles were so different. To her surprise, someone lightly knocked on the door. She hesitated but ended up opening the door anyway, only to reveal Derek standing in front of her with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Hey." He said. She gave him a funny look since he didn't add anything to it.

"How did you know where I was?" She asked and frowned suspiciously at him.

"I asked Scott and he said you were at the motel. Anyway, I know we talked earlier but there's something I forgot to say." He shrugged.

"Okay, you need to stop stealing my clothes and buy yourself something comfy too." Raven chuckled as she approached Vanessa in merely a towel, folding her arms together. Then she noticed the man by the door and walked to the side so half her body was behind Vanessa's. Vanessa mentally facepalmed and sighed with her eyes closed.

"Never mind." Derek muttered, turned around and walked away.

"One sec." Vanessa held a finger up at Raven before she hurried after her old friend. "Stop walking!"

Even now, Derek still listened to Vanessa. He cursed under his breath when it was impossible for him not to stop walking. Her voice still held somethinf over him and he hated that. Slowly turning around, he stared at her with a blank expression that she was sure held so many emotions underneath.

"What?"

"Don't look at me like that, Hale. It's been four years." She lightly shook her head and dropped her hands beside her body to make her point stronger.

"Exactly. It's been four years, Nessa! Four years of absolutely nothing from you and then you come back and you're in a relationship?! How fair is that?"

"It doesn't matter if it's fair or not. I am allowed to move on and be happy." She said through gritted teeth.

"Move on from me?" Derek stated, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"There was no us to move on from." She sighed and looked at him softly. "Yes, it might not have fair of me to never contact you and not say goodbye but we were never... I don't know what we were. And you wanna talk fair? How about the fact that you kissed me, then became Paige's boyfriend, may her soul rest in peace, and then lastly you dated Kate despite me warning you about her. None of that was fair of you, so don't give me shit just because I did one thing wrong."

While he took in her words, she looked to the side and closed her eyes. Thinking about both Paige and Kate weighted them both down considering both girls had made such a huge impact on their lives, his especially.

"I think I have a good lead on the alpha. I'm going on tomorrow night to track him. Are you coming with me?" Derek finally asked and she slowly but steadily nodded. "Good. See you tomorrow." He murmured and left.

Vanessa herself hurried back to the motel room and set her eyes on Raven, who was doing something on her phone. She looked up when the door opened though and sent Vanessa a soft smile, the one that always managed to calm her nerves. Raven sinply had the power to make a day better regardless.

"You okay?" She asked as she put her phone away.

"Yeah."

"Please don't lie to me." She sighed and tilted her head sideways. Vanessa frowned in question and stared at her. "You moved your foot. You always do that when you lie."

"Gods." Vanessa murmured as she remember when Derek had noticed the same thing years ago. Then she cursed at her feet for moving against her will. "Look, it's... You know what, come with me."

Raven didn't ask twice when Vanessa suggsted they go somewhere else, which ended up being a quiet corner in the local park. After a moment of silence, Vanessa inhaled deeply and turned her gaze to Raven.

"What's bothering you?" Raven asked softly and pursed her lips concerned.

"We're pretty serious at this point, right?" Vanessa asked and pulled her fingers through her hair.

"I think we are. Don't you?"

"I do. Which is why you need to know that there are things about me you don't know. And I don't mean stuff like my favorite color. I just don't know if I should tell you or not and how to tell you if I did. I mean, you wouldn't believe me. I wouldn't believe me. And the thing about this secret is that it isn't just about me."

"You don't have to tell me. I'm not asking you to." Raven smiled and seized her hand carefully, intertwining their fingers.

"But I want to. Because if I don't, you're in danger. That's the last thing I want."

"Okay, now you're scaring me." Raven said when she noticed the deeply troubled expression on Vanessa's face.

"I'm–" Vanessa began but quickly cut herself off when a figure walked some distance away from them. Her chest tightened when Chris Argent walked beside another man and glanced her way. Her grip of Raven's hand unintentionally tightened, too much for a regular human.

"Ow, ow, McCall, you're hurting me." Raven gasped and tried to wiggle her hand free. Vanessa hastily drew her hand away and turned her eyes back to her girlfriend.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry." Vanessa apologized and stood up. "We need to go."

"Damn, where did that strength come from?" Raven whispered in amazement and rubbed her hurt hand.

"Come on." Vanessa loosely wrapped her arm around Raven's waist and dragged her away from the park. Chris seemed to freeze for a mere second before shaking his head and continuing to walk.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Raven sighed and pouted a little at her girlfriend. Once they were far enough from the park, Vanessa let go of her and pulled her fingers through her hair.

"There's just so much to tell. I don't wanna overwhelm you."

"Then start with the core to it all." Raven shrugged and folded her arms together. Vanessa stayed silent, mentally contemplating whether or not she should tell her and how she would. It's easy to say but hard to make one believe.

"Remember when we met?" Vanessa asked as a weak smile grew on her face. "The day I stupidly walked over a street without looking and you stupidly ran me over? I should've gotten hurt. Badly. But I didn't. I didn't even get a bruise. You, for some reason, didn't seem to find that strange. Instead you asked me to hang out. The point is, I wasn't hurt. I should've been."

"What are you saying, that you're some enhanced super-human?" Raven suggested while trying to wrap her mind around that idea.

"Not exactly. Switch the human part with supernatural instead." Vanessa cocked her head sideways and bit on her bottom lip. Raven blinked at her and dropped her hands beside her body quietly. "A werewolf, to be exact."

"That's hilarious."

"I'm serious."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Show me." A piece of excitement sparked alive on Raven's face, which made the lump in Vanessa's throat and weight on her shoulders slowly dissolve. Vanessa then knew that she wanted Raven to know because she really, really liked her and she wanted to stay with her. Clenching her hands, her eyes heated up as they turned vibrant red and then she unclenched her hands, revealing her claws. "Holy shit. This is awesome!"

"Say what now?" Vanessa raised one eyebrow and transformed back to normal.

"You're actually a werewolf! I can't believe I'm saying these words. My girlfriend's a werewolf." She gushed, gaping in shock and amazement.

"You genuinely think it's cool?"

"Uh, duh? Everyone dreams of being a supernatural creature! This is–" Raven cut herself off once Vanessa's expression changed. She realized maybe it wasn't Vanessa's dream and of course she wouldn't ramble like that if it pained her. "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize. I get it. I used to think the idea was awesome too when I was young. But being a supernatural creature for real... It has its cons as well. Which is why I wanted to tell you — you're not safe here."

"I'm with you, aren't I? Besides... I'm a cop. I know basic self-defense. With my knowledge and your powers, no one's got a chance against us." Raven smirked before stepping closer and softly kissing Vanessa.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, Rae, and to stay away from the people I'm gonna warn you about." Vanessa mumbled and tucked some of Raven's hair behind her ear.

"I promise." Raven whispered and held up her pinky finger. Vanessa rolled her eyes with a grin on her face before pinky swearing it with Raven.


	4. magic bullet

"I told Raven." Vanessa stated as she and Derek was walking at night, tracking the alpha's scent. She was afraid of his reaction so she had waited long before finally spitting it out.

"Told her what?" Derek asked.

"Everything." That seemed to make it click because he abruptly stopped and turned around to face her.

"What?"

"She deserves to know."

"Because she's your girlfriend?"

"Yes." She said sternly and kept walking so he'd do the same. "She's told me everything about her life and now that she's actually here, she should know. She's already in enough danger simply being here, I can't let her walk around clueless about what's actually going on."

"Great. One more person to worry about." He sighed and narrowed his eyes.

"Aw, I never said you had to worry about her." She teased and casually bumped into him. His lips twitched from trying to suppress a smile.

"I only worry about her because she means something to you. I don't even know her." He made that clear, looking at her. His eyes were soft and honest, which made her smile. Then he suddenly turned sharp and listened to the wind and smelled the air. "He's near. I think he's... Chasing something."

"There's blood on the ground." Vanessa pointed out seconds before she heard a woman tauntly yelling and the howls of the alpha. Derek's eyes drifted to the nearest roof top and luckily for them, the alpha stood there snarling at them. Then he ran away. "Wait!"

But before Vanessa could stop him, Derek leaped after him. She contemplated on following but too much happened at the same time; Derek sprinted after the alpha, two hauntingly familiar voice began to make sense and a very known cologne reached her. Turning her head toward the voices, she clenched her fists at the sight of Kate Argent. Too late she realized that Kate had aimed her gun and shot at the roof, hopefully aiming at the alpha. If she was aiming at him, she missed. Instead, Derek dropped and clutched his arm which finally made her follow him.

"Shit." Derek winced and pulled up his sleeve. Vanessa gulped as the bullet wound started to glow purple. She carefully grazed the spot but her hand was shaking, more when they both looked at each other in realization of what kind of bullet it was.

"Yeah, shit indeed. Come on." She exhaled and lifted him up, helping him escape the scene. Reluctantly, she brought him to the motel where Raven was sleeping deeply. "If you wake her, I will kill you myself. She's the worst morning person and even worse if she wakes up by force." She whispered, pointing a finger at him.

"Promise." Derek rolled his eyes seconds before he spit out some blood. He was already getting sweaty and his skin, if even possible, became paler by the minutes.

Vanessa sat down to try and get the bullet out herself but for two reasons she couldn't. One: it had already sunken deep enough and two: it stung her every time she even came close. She tried that for an almost an hour with determent before Derek softly seized her hand and shook his head.

"What? What is it?" She asked and looked at him with a frown. She didn't even realize how angry she sounded.

"It's no use, Nessa. You know there's only one thing that can get this bullet out. Two, if it comes down to it." He reminded her, but now she shook her head and tried to continue pulling it out herself.

"No, the longer it stays, the sooner til–" She started but cut herself out. He sighed since his point was proven and she pulled a hand through her hair, eyes closed harshly. "We'll find a way. You're not dying on me."

"Hey." He whispered and lifted her chin up. "I know you think you can't afford to lose me, and don't object because if you thought you could then you wouldn't have spent the last hour determent to pick the bullet out without panicking. Only a person who can lose someone cries and shakes and panics. But first of all, we're gonna find a way. Second of all, you can lose me."

"Don't talk like that." She demanded sternly, staring at him. "You're not dying, this is ridiculous."

"Go to sleep." He laughed and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "You look exhausted."

"Fighting with people does that." She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked down at the floor. "Can we just... stop fighting about this? About me leaving and Scott being a werewolf? I'm sorry I wrongly lashed at you for actually looking out for him."

"I'm sorry I lashed at you for taking care of yourself. I get it." He apologized and she weakly nodded as she smiled softly. "And I'll give Raven a chance. I mean, if you like her then she must be cool."

"She is. Totally objective here, she is."

Vanessa raised both hands in the air to get her point through and then laughed quietly. Derek grinned happily until he remembered the bullet in his arm. She made him a sleeping spot, said goodnight and lay down beside Raven on the bed.

The next morning when Vanessa woke up, she groaned in irritation over the fact that Derek wasn't in sight. Raven didn't say anything about a stranger sleeping in their motel room either so that meant he left before she woke up. Vanessa's brain took a long shot theory, but she was certain Derek would look for Scott since Scott is dating Allison, who's Kate's niece. She told Raven that she'd be back soon after changing into fresh clothes and then left to hurry to the school.

Once inside, the first thing she noticed were drops of blood on the floor. Thankfully the students didn't seem to notice them so she jogged down the hallway where she found Derek standing with Mr. I've got a Porsche. At first she listened on them with her wolf hearing up until Derek grabbed Jackson by the neck and pushed him against the locker.

"Derek!" Vanessa scolded while pulling Derek away from Jackson, examining his even worse state. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Ow. You two know each other?" Jackson rubbed the back of his neck and frowned at the two.

"You two do?" Derek retorted, making Vanessa roll her eyes.

"Come on." Vanessa dragged Derek to the nearest corner and grabbed his hands which only made hers bloody as well. "Don't you dare try and take advantage of Scott."

"He's the only one who can come close to Kate."

"So you're willing to put his life in danger too?" She asked and dropped her hands. "We'll find a way without risking anyone else."

Instead of answering, Derek focused his hearing on two females. Vanessa listened as well, grimacing when they were talking about Scott going home with Allison and Allison making sure he used a condom. As cool of a cousin she was, hearing them gush and talk about sex with her baby cousin was sort of gross. Suddenly the school bell rang, which was just slightly loud to Vanessa but to Derek, it was like a physical punch. He bent down a little and covered his ears in pain, making her frown and place a hand on his arm.

"It's getting worse." He grunted before abruptly hurrying out of there. She looked upwards and cursed silently to her gods over his stubborness and followed him out to the parking lot.

Vanessa's eyes turned big when Derek fell down against the concrete in front of Stiles' jeep. Cars were honking because he was in the way and soon Scott was by her side, helping Derek up and and then rushing to get Stiles' attention.

"What are you two doing here?" Scott asked the two adults..

"I've been shot and I can't heal because it's a special bullet." Derek answered bluntly.

"A silver bullet?" Stiles asked.

"No, you idiot." Derek answered, earning a subtle elbow punch from Vanessa against his side. "Sorry." He muttered so quietly Stiles probably didn't hear it.

"That's what she meant when she said forty eight hours." Scott murmured more to himself.

"Who said that?" Derek asked and grasped his own, wounded arm. Vanessa frowned at Scott and realized that it was his cologne she smelled the other night. She almost wanted to punch him for being so irresponsible and putting himself in that kind of danger.

"The woman who shot you."

Suddenly Derek's eyes flashed blue and Vanessa's turned even bigger. While Scott kept asking why he was shifting in the middle of a parking lot, his sister softly grabbed Derek's face and made him look at her.

"Hey, focus on me. Listen to me, Hale, I'm here, she isn't. I'm right here and I'm not leaving you again so soon. Calm down, breathe and get in the car, please." She said quietly, watching his face twitch and eyes shift back and forth. "Kate isn't here. I am."

"Do they have a thing or something?" Stiles whispered to Scott, but Scott only nudged him with his foot.

"Nessa?" Derek exhaled before he regained control. They all helped him inside the jeep but unfortunately both Allison Argent and Mr. I've Got a Porsche had gotten out of their cars to see why the line was held up. "You need to find out what kind of bullet it was."

"How?" Scott asked and shook his head in confusion.

"No." Vanessa shook her head.

"Nessa–"

"Derek, no." She said sternly and stared at him. Sighing in defeat, Derek allowed them to haul him inside Stiles' jeep. "We can find it out without prostituting my cousin."

"Vee, what does he want me to do?" Scott asked and stood by the car door, resting his arm against the top of it.

"The woman who shot me is an Argent." Derek informed him, much to Vanessa's dislike. "You put the pieces together."

"But..."

"We overheard Allison and another girl. You're going to her place after school, right?" Vanessa assumed quietly.

"So you're going to find out what kind of bullet it was." Derek demanded, though Scott wasn't particularly intimidated considering Derek was pale, sweaty and honestly looked like a mess who would pass out any second.

"Why should I even help you? Just because Vee trusts you doesn't mean I should."

"You need me." Derek stated, which Scott unfortunately agreed was true.

"Fine. Just get out of here already." Scott ushered for them to leave already because Allison was approaching and Jackson was staring intensely.

Once they were on the road, Derek started taking his jacket off which seemed to annoy Stiles more than anything. Vanessa sat at the back, hands holding the seat in front of her and her head leaning against it. Vanessa decided to ignore them while they bickered and rubbed her temples when Stiles pulled over and stopped the car.

"Get out of the car." Stiles ordered.

"Stiles..." Vanessa sighed.

"Start the car." Derek demanded, to which she rolled her eyes at.

"You know, I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look right now. In fact, I think if I wanted to I could probably drag your little werewolf ass into the middle of the road and leave you for dead." Stiles rambled and that earned him a smack on the head from her. Why were they being so damn childish? Derek merely stared at him and upgraded his intimidating look.

"Start the car or I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth." He said.

"Gods, he's a kid, Derek! Don't be so dramatic. And Stiles, just give it up and do what we need you to do." Vanessa said as she switched her gaze between the two. Derek craned his neck to look back at her and once he saw her face, his softened up and he relaxed a little. "Just drive for now. Stopping at one place for too long is dangerous."

"... But he's starting to smell. Badly." Stiles grimaced and leaned away from Derek.

"Then open a window or something."

Stiles phone suddenly rang and when he picked it up and answered, Vanessa heard Scott's voice on the other end. Once again, Stiles complained that Derek was smelling like death and Scott suggested that they bring Derek to the animal clinic he worked at.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." Stiles countered. Derek stared at him until he was handed the phone.

"Have you found the bullet yet?"

"The entire Argent house is filled with bullets!" Scott whined.

"Remind me again why you're dating one of them?" Vanessa asked rhetorically, most likely making her cousin roll her eyes. Derek cracked a weak smile.

"Not now, Vee. Just take Derek to the clinic, I'll hurry. Even if I don't know why I'm risking my life just to save his."

"Scotty." Vanessa sighed and weakly shook her head.

"Because you still need me. The alpha can still call you against your will and next time, it's either you kill together or he kills you. Unless I'm there."

Scott hung up and Stiles started driving toward the clinic. When they arrived and entered, Derek stumbled so hastily not even Vanessa could catch him in time. Landing on top of dog food, he leaned back against the wall and decided to sit there. He didn't look to be in any shape to stand up anyway.

"You okay?" Vanessa asked and crouched down in front of him.

"No."

"I'm sorry." She murmured and sat down with her legs crossed, fiddling with her ear.

"Hey." He grinned and nudged her leg with his foot. She simply frowned at him. "You do still care."

"Of course I do...?" She tilted her head to the side, still not understanding.

"The ear thing, remember?" He pointed out and she looked down at the floor with a sheepish smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." She confessed and smiled softly at him.

"Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you two?" Stiles asked as he looked up from his phone.

"It's a rare form of wolfsbane. Right?" Vanessa rememnered and flickered with her gaze between the two.

"Yeah. And if Scott doesn't bring me that bullet, I'll die." Derek muttered before he struggled to get up. "Get me to the surgery room. I have a plan B."

Vanessa put his arm around her shoulders and dragged him to the surgery room, Stiles following behind them. In there, Derek pulled his shirt off to reveal his wound. However, Vanessa's gaze got stuck on his back where a triskelion tattoo was. She carefully traced her fingers along the tattoo and huh-ed in amazement. Then she saw the infection and gulped.

"It's really not... that bad..." Stiles lied, trying to make it better. Derek only glared at him.

"When the infection reaches my heart, I'll die. Which is why I need you, if Scott doesn't find the bullet in time, to cut my arm out." Derek shocked them both, though Stiles seemed profoundly more disgusted.

"Are you insane?!" Vanessa exclaimed.

"Do you want me to die?" He questioned, which weighted heavier on them both more than he intended. Of course she didn't. Considering how her life crumbled when she believed that he had died in that fire, it was definitely something neither of them wanted to experience again.

"You know I don't want that." She shook her head and looked him in the eyes. The bags under his eyes scared her and his pupils looked lifeless. The pale skin didn't help either.

"Then he has to do it."

"Why can't she?" Stiles countered, nodded at Vanessa and had a fist against his mouth in disgust.

"Cause I wouldn't be able to go through with it. You don't care about him which means you being grossed out is the only obstacle for you to cut his arm of." She explained and licked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting hard.

"I don't... not care." Stiles mumbled and scratched the back of his head. "Okay, I don't care. At all. But cutting someone's arm off? That's mortifying, hot stuff. I'm probably gonna faint. No, I'm most likely to faint."

"Just do it!" Derek was losing patience but Vanessa slapped his arm for sounding so harsh. He ignored her however and grabbed Stiles collar, hauled him over the table and stared at him. "Now."

Vanessa stepped back when Derek's entire threatening aura vanished as he let go off Stiles and puked black blood on the floor. She stared wide-eyed at the liquid and then at the saw lying in the room. Reluctantly, Stiles grabbed it with shaking hands and swallowed a lump in his throat. The scene was too hard to watch so she quickly turned around and covered her ears but someone else entered the room just in time.

"Stiles, stop!" Scott yelled as he ran into the room. Stiles was so relieved that he dropped the saw and hugged his friend tightly.

"Oh my god, thank you for preventing a lifetime of nightmares!" He exhaled and patted Scott's shoulder.

"The bullet?" Derek reminded them and Scott handed it to him.

"So what are you gonna do?" Stiles asked, a hint of curiousity in his voice.

"I'm– I'm gonna..." Derek tried to form an answer but the infection grew and caused him to faint, followed by him dropping the bullet into a drain. Vanessa facepalmed herself before she and Stiles crouched down beside Derek and Scott went for the bullet.

"Seriously?" Stiles whined. "Okay, please don't kill me for what I'm about to do..." He sighed and raised his fist in the air.

"You sure you wanna do that?" Vanessa asked and raised her eyebrows. Poor boy.

Ignoring her, Stiles punched Derek on the cheek. However, just like Bella Swan he recoiled and grabbed his arm in pain since Derek's wolf bone structure was literally stronger than a punch from a teenage boy. To their surprise though, Derek did wake up again and when he emptied the bullet of its wolfsbane on the table, Vanessa began realizing what he needed to do. She'd heard rumors of this kind of bullet before. He lit the wolfsbane on fire before grabbing as much as he could and pressing it into his wound.

Derek screamed out and fell down the floor again and Vanessa crouched down to hold his hand. Stiles and Scott watched with intense and big eyes as Derek's wound began to heal.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Stiles exclaimed, earning a hard glare from Vanessa.

"You okay?" Scott asked carefully.

"Except for the agonizing pain." Derek replied and looked up at them.

"Guessing the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health." Stiles stated, trying to lighten the mood. This time, Derek joined into the glaring.

"Okay, we saved your Iife, which means you're gonna Ieave us alone. You got that? And if you don't, I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad, and I'm gonna tell him everything." Scott threatened.

"Scotty." Vanessa said sternly, frowning in disbelief. "You can't seriously trust them?"

"Why not? They're a lot nicer than your boyfriend is!" Scott retorted. Her muscles tensed at the word and he quickly regretted phrasing it like that.

"First of all, not my boyfriend. I do have a girlfriend, remember." She started and crossed her arms together. "Second of all, you just can't trust an Argent. They've been hunting werewolves for decades, probably."

"I'll show you how nice they are." Derek's patience had been rinsed and he quickly grabbed onto Scott before dragging him away from there.

Vanessa rolled her eyes over how drastic they were but she decided to bring Stiles home before she followed Derek's scent that lead to Beacon Hill's Crossing Home. Swiftly following their scents to a room, she froze when she saw the eerily still man sitting in a chair, half his face burnt. It had been so long since she last saw Peter Hale that she barely recognized him. Despite everything, her chest turned to stone at the sight.

"... But there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire. This is what they do. And it's what Allison will do." Derek finished his sentence, looking sideways at Scott, though Vanessa barely heard him since her entire focus was set on Peter. No one deserved this, to be almost dead. Almost, without being able to do anything.

"What are you doing? How did you get in here?" An unknown, female voice said from behind them.

"We were just leaving." Derek sighed as he turned around. "Nessa?"

"Get out." The nurse persisted. Derek snapped his fingers in front of Vanessa's face to get her attention and frowned at her when she finally but shakingly looked at him.

"Sorry, I just... I didn't know." She whispered and followed them out of there.

"He's my uncle." Derek explained, unaware that she already knew this. "Still hasn't moved since the fire. Can you believe that? It's been so long."

"Yeah." She murmured and gulped. "Look, uh... I'm glad you're still alive. Sorry we didn't get any closer to the alpha."

"I'm glad you're alive too." He chuckled quietly and nudged her. "I'll see you around."

And just like that, he disappeared in that special way that Derek always did. Vanessa merely shook her head and walked Scott home. He entered his house and halfway closed the door before frowning down at the floor in thought.

"Do you know Peter?" He asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"The look on your face... it's the look of someone who's close to someone in pain or hurt. You weren't just shocked over the burnt face, you... I don't know."

"No, I don't know him. It was just a lot to take in and I hate it when people suffer unfairly." She lied, kissed him goodnight on the forehead and hurried to the motel.

Raven was sleeping, which was understandable because it was late, and Vanessa sat down on the bed and tucked some hair away from Raven's face. Tonights incident made her wish that she could just send Raven back home because if anything happened to her... it was too painful to even imagine. So instead she changed to her PJ's, lay down beside her girlfriend and fell asleep.


End file.
